COLLEGIATETIMES
wednesday april 1, 2009 blacksburg, va.
www.collegiatetimes.com
news NORRIS HALL REOPENING Virginia Tech will hold a ceremony to reopen the west wing of the second floor of Norris Hall on Friday, April 10 at 2 p.m. Speakers will include President Charles Steger, Senior Vice President and Provost Mark McNamee, Ishwar Puri of the College of Engineering, and Jerzy Nowak, founding director of the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention. Tours of the second floor will follow the speakers. The event is open to the public.
corrections In the article, “Young Gunnaz, Quan Dynasty, Kryptonite claim crowns,” (CT, March 26) the Kryptonite Cru-League powder-puff football team was incorrectly named as winning that championship last fall. The winner was No Sacks Allowed.
Newman Library receives major cash infusion PHILIPP KOTLABA
ct news staff writer The university administration has thrown Newman Library and collegiate budgets a lifeline. Seeking to put a two-time $17.3 million infusion in federal stimulus money to good use, within the next year the provost’s office will increase Newman Library’s budget by $300,000 and will establish a $1.3 million buffer to help support ailing collegiate first-year, core curricula. The Newman Library will be spared from the mandated 5 percent budget cuts, equivalent to a loss of $700,000 in funds. Instead, it will now receive a $300,000 increase in its operating budget.
“That’s a $1 million swing from the worst-case scenario they faced,” said Mark McNamee, university provost. “We all agree that the funding that we have for the library at Virginia Tech, given the growth of the campus ... is not at the level that we’d like it to be to meet the needs of the students,” McNamee said. Eileen Hitchingham, dean of libraries, is now tasked with proposing a revised library budget and positioning it for increased competitiveness. “I think we can, in fact, make a lot of good investments over time,” McNamee said, nevertheless stressing that the library may be selective in choosing which subscriptions to cancel based on faculty expertise and students’ needs.
Whereas other units are generally able to negotiate favorable deals with publishers, increased journal subscription costs have been behind much of the library’s financial woes, McNamee said. Furthermore, many publishers insist on bundling multiple subscriptions in all-or-nothing deals, and online-based subscriptions do little to reduce costs. “We keep being pressed to spend more for the same, and when in fact the university’s budget, even in the best of times, goes up just a few percent a year,” McNamee said. “It’s really hard to keep up with that kind of 10 to 15 percent inflation factor.” Second, in a move to placate colleges’ worries of inadequate support for their freshman core service cur-
consecutive sessions now. Would you have vetoed those bills or would you like to see an expansion of concealed carry in Virginia? BM: Well, on that one I support the repeal. What we found is that people that get concealed weapons permits in Virginia are overwhelmingly lawabiding citizens, and allowing them to carry a weapon into a restaurant, especially since the bill requires that they can’t consume any alcohol, to me it’s just like carrying into any other public place. So, I didn’t have any problem with that. We actually have the ability to carry “open carry” in virtually any place in Virginia except for courthouses and school buildings and so forth. So people who have already been approved by a court to carry a concealed weapons permit, it seems like they have demonstrated they are law-abiding citizens, and they ought to be able to carry it into a restaurant. Under circumstances, they could be a person that could help with defending themselves or other people, so I support that bill.
The article “For both tickets, sustainability programs consistently present in platforms,” (CT, March 31) must be clarified. The initiative to employ reusable mugs in dining halls was started by the Environmental Coalition. DANIEL LIN/SPPS
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell speaks with Judi Lynch, an adviser to the College Republicans, last night at the opening of the Republican Headquarters on Draper Road next to She-Sha.
GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE TALKS ON HEALTH CARE, CAMPAIGNING AND SMALL BUSINESS ZACH CRIZER
ct news reporter The Collegiate Times regrets these errors. If you see something in today’s paper that needs to be corrected, please e-mail our public editor at publiceditor@collegiatetimes.com, or call 540.231.9865.
index News.....................1 Features................2 0pinions................3
Classifieds..............4 Sports....................5 Sudoku..................4
An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 106th year • issue 38
graduation rates, enrollments and other factors, “we may not be able to meet every need, but we’ll try,” he said. Another issue is making sure any initiatives can survive once federal stimulus money dries up. “We need to make sure we don’t postpone the problem,” said McNamee. “We’re trying to be really careful in that whatever we invest, we could keep going if we had to in future years and not be solely dependent on the stimulus money. But it’s going to help us get through the next two years.” More information will be available once the General Assembly reconvenes for its special veto session on April 8.
McDonnell campaign stops in Blacksburg
In “Recently founded ‘Metal Milita’ united head bangers,” (CT, March 27) Metal Militia President Shannon “Thrash” Cummings’ name was misspelled.
The first pages of yesterday’s papers were switched. The first, or A, section should have contained the front page of the SGA Guide and the B, or second, section should have had the front page containing the regular news stories.
ricula, the university is allocating $1.3 million as a buffer to help offset potential reductions in salaries and sustain underfunded core courses, such as compositional English. “Some of the colleges gave us a heads up that they just didn’t know how they could possibly staff some of the courses ... their budget reduction proposal was saying, ‘We’ve got a problem here,’” McNamee said. Most of the $1.3 million will be headed toward the three colleges that do the most core teaching—the College of Science, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, and the College of Business. “My prediction is that we’ll probably be asked to do more,” McNamee said. Based on evolving changes in
Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Bob McDonnell opens his campaign this weekend with a six day, 25-stop tour of Virginia. Before appearing at the new Blacksburg Republican Headquarters Tuesday night, he talked with the Collegiate Times about how he plans to appeal to voters over the next seven months.
Collegiate Times: How does it feel to be out in front of the field in terms of getting headquarters set up in Blacksburg and getting started on the campaign? Bob McDonnell: Well, we’ve been laying the foundation for about a year for the race and then decided we would officially kick it off starting Saturday with about a six-day, 25-stop tour around Virginia. It is very important to me to be able to get on college campuses and talk to young people. I just left James Madison, and we were at UVa earlier, and we will be at some other colleges tomorrow. I’m looking forward to talking at Tech, it’s a great university and we’re going to eventually have field staff and offices located around the Blacksburg-Christiansburg area. But tonight, I’m looking forward to meeting a lot of the students. CT: As you mentioned, you’ve been
to three college towns already. What role do you see young voters playing in the gubernatorial election, and how do you plan to appeal to them? BM: I think you saw the surge in voters last election were primarily young voters, and I thought that was a good thing. Unfortunately, the 18-24 voting block is usually the one with the lowest voter turnout, but the last election brought people into it. So, I think it is vitally important to me to be able to reach as many young people and explain to them why my ideas on jobs and the economy and education and economic development are better than my opponents. I think most young people want to have a great opportunity to graduate and have a good job when they get out. I’ve spent a lot of time talking with young folks talking about the need to keep a good tax and regulatory environment, the need to be able to promote small business and tourism and expand the ability to recruit new businesses to come to Virginia, and to promote energy drives in Virginia. I think all these will help young people get better opportunities when they graduate. So, I think it’s also very important to tell them we’re going to run a very technologically advanced campaign. I’ve got a text messaging operation up and running. I’ve got more friends on Facebook, by far, than any of my opponents. So, we’re going
to run a campaign that addresses the issues people care about and also uses the mediums, like Facebook and text messaging, that young people use.
CT: One big topic at Virginia Tech remains April 16. What are your plans for mental health care in the state of Virginia? BM: I was attorney general of course on the day of the shooting, and worked to help resolve those cases, settling most of those cases within the first year. I worked very closely with Governor Kaine to come up with a bipartisan package of mental health reform which involved improving our civil commitment laws to address people with mental health problems much earlier, to put more into outpatient treatment instead of institutional treatment so you could keep them close to their families, with better pharmaceuticals to keep them under proper care. So, I think it’s very important to continue some of these reforms. My office helped to put together a reform last year that we think is very helpful. There is still more to do. We put about $55 million of new money into mental health care, particularly outpatient care, last year. So, I’d like to continue those things that will help address the real needs of the consumers, but also make sure public safety is an important part of the equation. CT: Gov. Kaine recently vetoed several bills that would expand gun ownership rights, and the concealed carry in restaurants bill has come up in two
CT: What is something that distinguishes you from Gov. Kaine and even former Gov. Warner? What is something the Republican Party can bring to Virginia that has not been present during the Democratic leadership? BM: Well I would apply much more innovation and prioritization and consolidation and efficiency of government into the way we do business in Virginia. I think Virginia government is still not as efficient as it should be. I think it’s not nearly as user-friendly, with enough of a focus on customer service. I’d like to retool a number of state agencies. I’d like to have some outside audits done on some of our larger agencies. I’d like to see more budget transparency so taxpayers know where their money is going. Those are things that have not been promoted by my predecessors. More importantly now with jobs and the economy being the top issue, I’m going to have a program to be able to expand Virginia’s economy. These are the things I will do that my predecessors have not done and some that they refuse to do: One, I want Virginia to be the best place in America for small business, because it creates 70 percent of the jobs. As governor, I’ll propose getting rid of a lot of the bureaucracy and red tape that are in place to a new business. You ought to be able to do it in 48 hours. Number two; my predecessors have not looked over the money for tourism promotion in Virginia. I think we need to do that. I’m going to be a strong promoter of tourism and film production in Virginia to be sure that we get those businesses coming to Virginia. Third, I’m going to make sure Virginia becomes the energy capital of America. We have these strong supporters of the coal
industry. We can use clean coal to be able to build jobs quickly. I’m going to be a strong supporter of low cost nuclear energy that can be built safely and cheaply in Virginia. Previous governors have not been supportive of offshore drilling for oil and gas. I think Virginia’s got the chance to be the first state in the country, in 2011, to get that done. Gov. Kaine is opposing that. Gov. Warner vetoed a bill on that. I think that’s very shortsighted for the economy. We could be the first state on the east coast to drill for oil and gas, now that the moratorium has been lifted. I support that. They won’t. And there are really a number of other things. For instance, President Obama said a couple things that I agree with him on and that I’m going to support as governor. One, he said we need more charter schools in Virginia. And second, he said we need merit pay for teachers to be able to get good teachers to stay and to come to Virginia. He’s right on both those counts and I’m going to support both those counts, while my predecessors didn’t seem very interested.
CT: You’ve obviously already started your campaign for the general election, while the Democrats still have three candidates running. How do you think that will affect the election? Do you think that will come out in your favor? BM: I think they will have a very tough primary. The polls show they are all pretty close right now. I think that it will be a photo finish and that likely they’ll be out of money and have some division in their party by the time the winner is picked. I think our party will be united and we’ll have some pretty good money in the bank by the time that comes around, but I think it is a real decided advantage for us. I’m not taking any votes for granted. That’s why I’m on every college campus. We’re going into inner cities and rural areas and suburbs asking for Virginians, whether they are Democrats or independents or Republicans, to consider voting for me because of my views on jobs, the economy and expanding opportunity in Virginia. It does give me the time to start working toward the general election, and we’re going to take every day now that I’m resigned as attorney general and spend 100 percent of my time campaigning. I feel like we had tremendous enthusiasm at all the opening day rallies in Northern Virginia and Richmond and Hampton Roads. On Saturday, we had over 600 people at every one of those rallies. My opponents had 30, 40 people at their announcements, so I feel like we have a motivated, energized party. My job is to keep them focused on how important it is to win again, and if I do that, we’ll win in November.
Kaine bans publication of concealed carry permit holders JOHN WINEBARGER
ct news staff writer Gov. Tim Kaine signed a bill last week that removes a State Police database of concealed weapon permit holders from public access in Virginia. The bill protects “from public disclosure permittee names and descriptive information held by the Department of State Police for purposes of entry into the Virginia Criminal Information Network,” according the bill’s summary statement. According to the text of the bill, the personal information of the permittees will only be available to police personnel for the purpose of investigation. Only general statistical information would be available to the public.
The bill was introduced by David Nutter, a delegate from House district 7, and signed by Kaine on March 27. The bill largely came about after the Roanoke Times legally obtained the database of permittees from the Department of State Police and published it to its Web site in what they described as “an illustration of the Freedom of Information Act.” An almost immediate outcry from permit holders caused them to quickly change their minds. A staff editorial by the Roanoke Times in fact described hearing from thousands of people in the two weeks following the publication of the database, some raising rational objections, others responding with “personal threats of violence and acts of intimidation.” In response to a request for comment,
Karenna Glover of the Roanoke Times forwarded a pre-written statement. “The Roanoke Times admits it made some mistakes and apologizes for potentially putting some individuals at risk by publishing a database of concealed handgun permit holders,” the statement said. Also in the statement, Debbie Meade, president and publisher of the Roanoke Times, said they “did not give sufficient thought to the possibility that the safety of certain individuals on the list, like law enforcement officials and crime victims, could potentially be compromised.” Nutter’s office also received complaints from constituents after the publishing of the database. Shortly after the database was removed, Attorney General Bob McDonnell issued an opinion agreeing
with opponents of the database and he closed access to the list. That opinion was followed with agreement from Virginia’s Freedom of Information Advisory Council, which recommended his opinion be codified into the Code of Virginia. From there, the bill was written and Nutter carried it to the General Assembly. “I carried this legislation because many of my constituents were harmed by the Roanoke Times’ reckless actions, and I felt we needed a permanent solution to the problem,” explained Nutter in the statement from his office. “The Code of Virginia needed to be amended to protect law-abiding citizens from being harassed and exposed to attack.” Virginia Tech campus representatives of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus are firm supporters of the bill
as well and believe that the database is a violation of privacy. “There is no need whatsoever for public access to the database of permit holders. A great number of people decide to get permits because they have been threatened or even mugged in the past. … It is often the public with access to these databases who abuse it the most,” said Alyson Boyce, Tech’s SCCC campus leader. Ken Stanton, the creator of Tech’s SCCC chapter, agreed, describing the publication by the Roanoke Times as “an example of how the information can be abused publicly.” Some believe the public should retain access to the information of permittees for a variety of reasons. Ladd Everett of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence believed that one should
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be able to audit the database to make sure judges adequately screen applicants and also hold permit holders accountable for their criminal record after receiving the permit. “There is freedom of information in a democracy. … I would want to find out as a member of the public. What about someone who lives down the street? What about kids hanging out at other parents’ houses? … Do I want to be aware of that information? Definitely,” Everett said. Everett, Boyce and Stanton agreed, however, that the best approach might be in finding equilibrium between the right to know and the right to privacy. “Perhaps there is a way to maintain checks and balances but not allow for open, public posting of permit holders’ names and addresses,” Stanton said.
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editor: bethany buchanan email: features@collegiatetimes.com phone: 540.231.9865 office hours: w 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., f 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
april 1, 2009
Laughter Yoga brings New Prince albums are lacking in royal pedigree amusement to workouts Oh master of the funky fresh, jammer of the hottest of jams, why in the name of God hast thou forsaken us, ArtistTOM FormerlyKnown-AsMINOGUE And-Nowstaff Back-Againwriter To-Prince? I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it, but this album really isn’t worth a lick of your time or money. Sure, you the CD REVIEW present interesting cover of “Crimson and Clover” that provides a simple distraction from the overwhelming awfulness the rest of this
Not a lot of artists can say that they’ve released 25 albums. And certainly not many artists can say they’ve won JONATHAN seven Grammy YI Awards, a Golden Globe, features an Oscar and reporter been ranked on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. It is only Prince that CD REVIEW can boast these subsequent achievements along with being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the first year eligible. Although the R&B funk gurus
MARVIN GAYE
record consists of. As further proof, there’s the constant unyielding presence of his Purpleness hitting up the auto-tuner a little too hard, no small sin coming from the man who put on a Super Bowl half-time show, against which all others must now stand up. Isn’t there an ounce of decency or artistic legitimacy left in you, Prince? Apparently not, considering your album is a collection of featherweight, lifeless R&B tunes on cruise control. After your previous album, “Planet Earth,” I really expected better. Doing the Pepsi challenge on this one doesn’t quite make the cut, especially when we consider that this is coming from the same guy who brought us the pop masterpiece “Purple Rain.” But enough about past transgressions — let’s move on to the current
pastime mirrors a hefty resume, Prince, is an avid futurist — so much of a futurist, in fact, that he’s willing to counter the common man’s technological feats. Prince just doesn’t like people using his “art” on the Internet. In 1999, he sued the Swedish fan site “Uptown” for unauthorized use of his symbol and for making unauthorized references to some unreleased material. A few years ago, he sued a fan site of another artist for linking to Web sites that carried his music, and now he plans to go after YouTube for fans posting live clips of the Purple One’s performances. And he’s reportedly targeting eBay and torrent site Pirate Bay as well. Musician “integrity” aside, Prince is always striving to bless us with his new wave pop and psychedelic vocals.
sins inflicted on mankind by this album. Getting past the egregious use of auto-tuner there’s also a distinct lack of clarity in the vision for the album. Though “LOtUSFLOW3R” is only one disc in a set of three, the music inside feels like a jumbled incoherent journey through lost musical genius. “U’re Gonna C Me” is a ballad that clunks instead of soaring; “Colonized Mind” seemingly has no lyrical focus; and “Wall of Berlin” can’t decide whether it wants to be an average studio-produced rock song or an average studio-produced piece of candy-coated pop. Maybe it’s all this indecision that has Prince stuck in this black hole of sheer musical banality, or maybe the well has run dry. Either way the listener doesn’t benefit from the situation, and returning to the idea that Prince should stick with making pop music
Prince, as expected, circumvented the iTunes outlet and lumped together three albums that will sell in an $11.98 bundle at Target this week: LOtUSFLOW3R, MPLSoUND and Elixir. And although we’ve all seen that infamous, drawn out, rock-outtoo-emotionally bit on “Purple Rain” over and over again, I have to say that LOtUSFLOW3R has the upbeat funk progression of a Parliament record. The record is seemingly blessed by extremely dynamic guitar, which oozes over the record like a slice of butter melting on top of a big-ol’ pile of flapjacks. Tracks such as “Colonized Mind” offers minimal soul but maintains a glossy spacerock tone offered by moaning, doodling electric guitar. “Crimson and Clover” opens up like a soft country record, and
Other CDs We Recommend:
“The Best of Marvin Gaye”
CARL CARLTON “Old School Volume 3”
with that slight-enough guitar edge is inevitable. Alright, so now you’ve seen all I want to really discuss regarding Prince’s latest effort. Why don’t you listen to something good instead? In particular, “Purple Rain.” From that album it’s easy to infer that Prince is a man not afraid to take chances. Unfortunately, with his latest effort it sounds less like taking chances and more like conforming to the modern sound of auto-tune. It’s also a sad possibility that Prince’s time might have passed him by. It’s fascinating to see how a man who has scaled the highest musical peaks of the pop mountain has now succumbed to its lowest musical valley. Listen to “Purple Rain” after this train wreck and you’ll thank me.
Grade: D although you wait for the precious and glittery soul of Prince to thaw in, it never seems to come. Prince goes bananas on whammy bar, drawing a long and uncomfortable atmosphere on “Boom.” But the whole record goes to show that song delivery is more rewarding when he introduces control and structure. LOtUSFLOW3R indicates that after all these years, Prince’s curiosity for the outer limits of music has not been satisfied. I commend Prince for finally emulating a live feel, but he isn’t as munificent with quality as he used to be. The lack of a killer track has the record falling short. Although LOtUSFLOW3R itself holds a stain of mediocrity, $11.98 isn’t a bad deal for three albums.
Grade: C
MICHAEL JACKSON “Thriller”
TERENCE TRENT D’ARBY “Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent d’Arby”
PARLIAMENT “Motor Booty Affair”
MARY ANNE CARTER
ct features reporter “Don’t forget you have a tail,” Tod Whitehurst proclaimed, swaying his hips wildly as he crouched on all fours, peeled open his eyes and extended his tongue. Clawing the air passionately, Whitehurst, the coordinator of the Blacksburg Laughter Club, proceeded to let out a snarling laugh as a classroom of yoga students followed suite. After holding the laughter for nearly a minute, Whitehurst signaled an end to the exercise with a series of claps, chanting, “Very good! Very good! Yay!” followed by another round of laughter. “The lion exercise is one of my favorites,” Whitehurst excitedly revealed to his Laughter Yoga students. Whitehurst said that, unlike other forms of yoga, there are no poses in Laughter Yoga, just a series of exercises based on four components: eye contact, clapping, breathing and childlike play to induce either real or fake laughter. “Because the body cannot tell the difference between real or fake laughter, we can use the natural bodily responses to take advantage of physiological, emotional, psychological and spiritual effects of laughing,” Whitehurst said. People often think if they want to laugh, they should go see a comedy. But the trouble there is you have to wait in line, buy popcorn, watch the previews and then wait for a punch line to laugh, Whitehurst explained. “With Laughter Yoga, you can just laugh,” he said. “It’s kind of bizarre,” described biology and psychology double major Alison Carmack. “It’s basically like they force you to laugh and you end up laughing at everyone else because everyone looks so ridiculous.” Laughter Yoga is ideal for those who are attracted to the idea of yoga but may have trouble concentrating. “When you laugh, you have to breathe, and you have to meditate because you can’t really concentrate on anything else,” Whitehurst said. The benefits of Laughter Yoga include not only mental strength, but profound physical benefits as well. “Laughter really is the best medicine,” Whitehurst said. From just 15 to 20 minutes of laughter, your oxygen levels increase, blood pressure drops, circulation improves, pulse rate drops and endorphin levels increase enough to reduce stress, cure depression, increase energy, improve circulation and boost
your immune system. Since the development of Laughter Yoga in Mumbai, India, 13 years ago, it has spread rapidly to 63 countries and over 6,000 laughter clubs, according to the American School of Laughter Yoga. Recently, it has been used to treat depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in troops returning from overseas, cancer patients and prisons. “You know if the U.S. government is approving of something or using it for their troops and people, it must have real benefits. … They usually don’t rely on alternative medicine,” Whitehurst said. The growing movement has caught the attention of both the media and celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey. Since October, Whitehurst has offered free lessons at Blue Ridge Massage and
For more information, class schedules and directions, please visit the Blacksburg Laughter Club’s Web site at www.laugh4u.org. Yoga and on campus at various events. “There are still people suffering from post-traumatic stress. I just want to help folks out because it helped me immensely,” he said. “Before I got into Laughter Yoga, I suffered from stress and unfocused anger — mostly toward George Bush — which I couldn’t really do anything about. Now I can feel it coming on before it gets bad.” After one lesson, Urban and Regional Planning graduate student Philipp Gabathuler experienced such results. “I will absolutely do it again,” he said. “By hearing other people laugh, it made me laugh naturally … and definitely gave me a deeper breath too.” “I think people are looking to laugh — they want it to happen, but don’t have the means of getting there,” Gabathuler said. Through Laughter Yoga, they can “cut out the middle man and be much better off.” Whitehurst hopes the movement will continue to spread within Blacksburg and invites anyone interested or curious to participate in his free class, which is held most Thursdays from 5:45-6:15 p.m. at Blue Ridge School of Massage and Yoga. “My dream is doing it on the Drillfield with like a couple hundred or thousand people. … Wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing to see the Drillfield just full of laughing people for about 20 minutes?” Whitehurst said.
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opinions 3
editor: laurel colella email: opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com phone: 540.231.9865 office hours: mw 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
april 1, 2009
EDITORIAL
SGA candidates should be allowed to receive official endorsements When the Collegiate Times tried to endorse a Student Government Association ticket in our ongoing campus elections, we were told that we couldn’t. Not only that, but after studying the SGA election rules online, we were surprised to discover that restricted publicity in the CT is actually stated in the organization’s election rules. Section VI specifically states that the CT may be used for campaigning only if advertisement space is purchased. The intention to purchase ad space must be specified in the individual ticket’s campaign plan prior to the beginning of the campaign. Additionally, no ad space is approved after the start of the campaign. While the rules put in place specifically restricting the CT from involvement in the campus elections are within the organization’s rule-setting bounds, we can’t help but wonder why SGA is restricting a campus newspaper from offering endorsements for our own student government. While the CT is a student media outlet, we operate in the likes of the Roanoke Times and other professional media outlets. These organizations occasionally offer political endorsements on their candidates of choice. It only makes sense for the editorial board of a newspaper to be able to offer its opinion on the stances of political candidates as it sees fit. While the aforementioned election rule applies directly to candidates seeking election and not student media groups on campus, the SGA’s expressed interest in alienating the CT from its election, as stated in
its official rules, kept us from offering our perspective on their individual platforms. We’re guessing the goal of the rule is to keep either ticket from unfairly increasing in popularity (or decreasing, depending on how you look at it) by receiving publicity or endorsements from sources not a part of the original campaign plan. While this restriction is likely enforced by SGA to keep the elections from becoming popularity contests, anyone who’s ever seen democracy at its finest knows that it is, in fact, what all elections are. As the SGA elections don’t operate on an electoral ballot system, anyway, it seems safe to say that ultimately the most popular candidates are the those who will be elected by the student body. Ultimately, SGA is trying to restrict campus influences from endorsing candidates. If our student government and student media are supposed to be a reflection of the real world on the university level, then it would make sense for candidates to encourage campus endorsements from a variety of sources in order to reach out to more people who maybe don’t feel as directly impacted by the elections. Reading our endorsement may not change someone’s mind about whom they’re voting for, but it would certainly offer an interesting perspective and maybe open up campus dialogue in getting more people to actively take part in elections.
Don’t make commitment to diversity mandatory ADAM KISSEL guest columnist Suppose the provost at Virginia Tech started a new “patriotism” initiative. In the first year, he would permit faculty members to self-report their “patriotism accomplishments.” In the second year, faculty members would be strongly encouraged to report their “patriotism accomplishments” on their annual reports of their activities. In the third year, faculty members would be told that “patriotism accomplishments are especially important for faculty seeking tenure and promotion,” and dossiers for tenure and promotion would be a list of kinds of activities that would count as sufficiently “patriotic.” Faculty assessment in the area of “patriotism” would include attention to “patriotism” in one’s publications and one’s syllabus, and faculty members would be encouraged to further educate themselves about “patriotism” by going to patriotic events, which they would report to their superiors in their dossiers. Or insert the word “Christianity” in place of “patriotism.” Suppose the provost informs all faculty, graduate students, and tenure and review committees that Christian activities are something they are encouraged to report in their selfassessments. After three years, there is a “Christian accomplishments” section in the tenure dossier, a list of approved activities, and strong pressure to incorporate Christian themes into faculty members’ research, teaching and professional development. Do you think this kind of thing couldn’t happen at Virginia Tech? It is happening now. Just change “patriotism” or “Christianity” to a different matter of individual conscience: dedication to “diversity.”
In Virginia Tech’s College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, the latest changes to the “diversity” requirements for faculty assessment are the subject of a vote that ends March 31. But this kind of policy is coercive, in violation of basic principles of academic freedom and freedom of conscience, and not at all the kind of thing that can or should be voted on. Minority views must be protected, and faculty members should not be asked to vote away their rights and freedoms. Virginia Tech, like every public university in the nation, is bound by the First Amendment to respect freedom of speech and freedom of conscience. Case in point: in 1998, Virginia Tech surveyed 2,648 full-time and part-time faculty members about the “campus climate.” The data for white, heterosexual males were analyzed and reported separately, as were data for certain other groups. The survey revealed these facts: 40 percent of the faculty members agreed that “Virginia Tech is placing too much emphasis on diversity”; 56 percent agreed that “diversity may lead to admission of under-prepared students”; 44 percent agreed that “affirmative action leads to hiring less qualified faculty and staff;” “White males hold these opinions in significantly higher proportions than women or faculty of color;” and “Only 31 percent of white men expressed interest in attending workshops or programs on learning to work with or teach women, minorities, non-heterosexuals or those with disabilities.” In addition, 94 percent agreed “diversity was good for Virginia Tech and should be actively promoted,” leaving a significant minority of 6 percent who either disagreed or didn’t answer. That was 10 years ago, but let’s say a lot of those faculty members are still on campus and haven’t changed their
minds. Now in 2009, they are being told that merit raises, tenure and promotion shall be based partly on their “diversity accomplishments,” including things like “attending workshops,” even if they strongly disagree that certain kinds of “diversity” initiatives are as good as their colleagues think. And Virginia Tech already knows, because of the survey, that the policy is having a disparate impact by race and gender. That means that Virginia Tech knows that this policy is more likely to violate the academic freedom and freedom of conscience of white males than of members of other groups. Suppose the vote in Virginia Tech’s College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences comes out in a way similar to the 1998 survey. Is a 60-40 vote really enough to mandate “diversity accomplishments” for all faculty? What about 94-6? Should even a single conscientious objector (we already know of several) be told what he or she must believe in order to teach at a public university? The answer is clear: No. This should never have been put to a vote in the first place. Even if the vote were unanimous, it would not change the fact that the diversity policy is fatally flawed. Virginia Tech is essentially saying to all potential applicants to Virginia Tech: “Don’t even think about coming here unless you already agree with our views about diversity.” If you wouldn’t stand for a mandatory “patriotism” or “Christianity” assessment for faculty merit raises, promotion and tenure, you can’t stand for a mandatory “diversity” assessment either. And neither can the First Amendment. Adam Kissel is the director of the Individual Rights Defense Program of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.
The editorial board is composed of David Grant, David Harries, Laurel Colella, Jenna Marson and Alexandra Kaufmann.
Kristopher Reinertson hit the bull’s-eye with, “Tech Administration Should Retire Zero Tolerance” (CT, Mar. 23). In fact the relatively safe, socially acceptable, God-given plant cannabis (marijuana) should be completely re-legalized. A beneficial component of relegalizing cannabis that doesn’t get mentioned is that it will lower hard drug addiction rates. DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) will have to stop brainwashing youth into believing lies, half-truths and propaganda concerning cannabis, which creates grave, future problems. How many citizens try cannabis and realize it’s not nearly as harmful as they were taught in DARE-type government environments? Then they think other substances must
not be so bad either, only to become addicted to deadly drugs. The old lessons make cannabis out to be among the worst substances in the world, even though it’s less addictive than coffee and has never killed a single person. The federal government even classifies cannabis as a Schedule I substance along with heroin, while methamphetamine and cocaine are only Schedule II substances. For the health and welfare of America’s children and adults, that dangerous and irresponsible message absolutely must change. Further, regulated cannabis sales would make it so citizens who purchase cannabis would not come into contact with people who often also sell hard drugs, which would lower hard drug addiction rates.
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Library funding must be higher on list of priorities The notion of cutting funding from the university library is one that should seem completely ridiculous to the student body. TOM While numbers MINOGUE can be crunched regular and calculated to see how this columnist churns out in the budget, as discussed in the March 19 editorial of this paper, the fact that our library is “at the bottom of the national spectrum” is practically unforgivable. If anything, there should be additional funding for the library in order to maintain and expand its resources. Hell, if we can afford to expand McComas Gym, have one of the top dining facility programs in the nation, and fund diversity programs out of the ying-yang, it shouldn’t be too much of a stretch to realize that the library should take precedence over the rest of these university initiatives. I’m just not saying this for students in the College
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR Legalize marijuana
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of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences either: The library has an array of resources large enough to be useful for any major. That the university is considering slashing its funds shows just how under-utilized Newman Library really is on campus. Sure, I might be going off anecdotal evidence here, but it seems like hardly any students actually go in the library to study, check out books or take advantage of any of the many benefits that accompany such a place. It just seems like a shame that our library is not held in enough high regard by the populace and administration of Virginia Tech that there hasn’t been an upswelling of commotion over this. Though I compliment the editorial board for confronting this issue head on, this runs deeper than a monetary conflict on the part of the administration; this is a failure to foster academic efficacy at Virginia Tech. By throwing additional money behind recreational programs the wrong message is being sent out That it’s OK to forego learning, at a place of learning no less, for other activities. The library is a huge symbol
of university life, and what does it say about our university if the place is decaying? I can at least tell you that if it’s supposed to be indicative of the future, that isn’t a future I’d like to see invented, much less brought about while the rest of our facilities improve. What this really boils down to is the university experience. We didn’t just come here to eat, drink, exercise and otherwise do nothing of importance while living in Blacksburg. We (hopefully) came here to get an education and be steeped in the tradition of collegiate learning that so many former students at Virginia Tech have participated in. What student who’s spent four years of undergraduate education at a university can’t recall an evening where the infamous “all-nighter” had to be pulled at the library? There are numerous other facets to the college life, but learning is the most crucial of all of them, and the library supports that idea. There is a part of me that worries this might be a sign of the times that reading on college campuses has hit a downward spiral. An interesting Newsweek
article hit a couple weeks back on the transition of the reading choices of college students. Instead of “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” a la our baby boomer predecessors, kids are a lot more likely to pick up one of the Harry Potter books for a pleasurable reading experience. This isn’t a knock on Harry Potter, but we’re college students here — even if you aren’t a liberal arts major, you should be able to crack something a little more dense than children’s literature. I’m not saying we should all be reading Kierkegaard and Joyce (though it certainly wouldn’t hurt), but as college students (or even people) ignorance is a deplorable state of mind. A plea for the end of ignorance and an expansion for library funding are one in the same: They both promote the ideal mission of a university to increase the knowledge of its students. It shouldn’t be the administration’s duty to see that the library gets more books, more money and more resources to operate; it should be our duty to demand it. It isn’t difficult to start thinking down the slippery slope path that if no one
Your letter could be here. E-mail us at: opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com
says anything when funding is cut this time, then it won’t be a big deal when the budget is halved next time. I’m writing this to let you know that I think it’s a big deal, and that you should, too. This issue has everything to do with academic efficacy and the place of learning in our university. It’s our place as students to defend our right to learn, and if the student body doesn’t raise its voice for it, then no one else should. I was perusing the folio section in the basement of Newman the other day when I came across a hardbound, oversized edition of “Paradise Lost.” I’ve read it before, but the experience of turning over the dusty pages and looking at the illustrations William Blake had provided for Milton’s quintessential work in the quiet of the basement was something else. They don’t just have classic literature in the folio section, though; there are maps, comics, a memoir of The Beatles and stacks upon stacks of other books. I recommend you try it the next time you need some peace and quiet. You’ll definitely learn a thing or two.
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april 1, 2009
Thomas shapes Tech softball CHAD MOSESSO
ct sports staff writer A lot of people associate Virginia Tech's football team with Frank Beamer, and rightfully so. Taking a program from relative insignificance into the national spotlight earns you the right to be the "face" of that program. But the lesser-known softball team at Tech has a face of its own: Scot Thomas. Thomas isn't just the face of Hokie softball — he's the arms, legs and torso as well. Building the program from literally the ground up, Thomas is soon to embark on his, and the school’s, 500th overall victory. Although the 500-win mark is a giant feat that very few coaches achieve in any sport, Thomas hasn't given it a whole lot of thought. Sitting at 496 following Tuesday’s triumph over East Tennessee State, Thomas' only focus is winning the next game. But that doesn't mean he's totally oblivious to his soon-to-be achievement. "I can't say it's totally out of my mind, I know there's a number there...it'll be a great milestone," Thomas said. "To have the opportunity to win 500 games is just a blessing in and of itself." Given that, in the program’s beginnings, he used shopping carts to store equipment and called the current intramural fields home, it's very doubtful that anyone could have foreseen the success and longevity Thomas has had in his 14-year career — including himself. Thomas was primarily worried about keeping his job, something he worried about less and less as the triumphs and accolades began to pile up. He has been named the Virginia Sports Information Director's State Coach of the Year a record five times, along with being named the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year in 1999 and Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year in 2007. In 2007 and 2008, the entire coaching staff was named the Northeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Thomas has led the Hokies to four straight NCAA regional appearances and won two straight ACC championships. But last season was a particularly special one, as the team made their first appearance in the Women's College World Series, something Thomas had long strived for. "That's always been in the back of my mind," Thomas said. "I thought we had some teams in the past who had the potential of doing some great things, but doing it and thinking about it are way two different things. Obviously, it was a great feeling being there for the first time."
Being a successful coach at Tech was something Thomas had alwayd dreamed about. Born and raised in Blacksburg, he had a love affair with the maroon and orange since youth and was raised by parents who both worked for the school. Other than his family, maybe no one knows Thomas better than assistant coach Al Brauns. Brauns has been with the team for 11 years and rooms with Thomas on road trips. He feels that Thomas’ commitment to the players is a major reason why the program has flourished like it has. "He really does care about the kids," Brauns said. "He really does. His job is based on wins and losses, and he can still do that and care about the kids." Brauns' observation seems to be right on the money. When asked what is most important to Thomas about his tenure so far, wins or accomplishments aren't even mentioned. Instead, it's all about the care and support of the young women who play on the diamond. "The thing I'm most proud of is that they [former players] have a true love for Virginia Tech, and they come back as true Hokies and have never lost their passion for Virginia Tech," Thomas said. Thomas points to work ethic in the weight room, success in academics and Brauns as key components in the rise of the program. Although he considers
himself a players' coach, he has no reservations to let his players have it from time to time. He admits to occasionally engaging in screaming, but is described by Brauns as having a more laid-back style of coaching. "He sits back, teaches, adjusts. He doesn't have to yell and scream," Brauns said. "I'm not saying it doesn't happen. Obviously it does. But I don't think anywhere near where it does other places. And I think the kids respect that. They can come in here (Thomas' office) anytime they want, and they do." Since arriving at Tech in 2006, Jessica Everhart has started in 217 of a possible 224 games, including 144 of Thomas' wins. She feels that the laid-back demeanor and open-mindedness have been key to Hokie softball’s winning ways. "You'll have coaches that are real intense, load a lot of pressure on players, and have this way of doing things," Everhart said. "But with him, he takes what you have and works with that. It's easy to play for him." While Thomas deserves the credit he garners, he manages to direct the praise to the program — the program that he built. "Every time I get an award it's a reflection of the staff," Thomas said. "It’s a reflection on our team and our program and what we have going on at the time as a group; it’s not just me. I'm proud of them [awards], but I'm proud of the program ‘cause it's more of a program award than for me.”
NL fantasy baseball preview ED LUPIEN sports reporter
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Underrated: Mark Reynolds (3B) No strikeout category? No problem. Reynolds is more likely to K than any other hitter in the league, and his average reflects this. He makes up for it, however, with the potential for 30 home runs and 100 RBIs. Sleeper: Felipe Lopez (2B) I bet you couldn’t tell me what team he played for if he wasn’t listed under the Diamondbacks. Traded in the off-season, Lopez has power, speed and can post a .260 average to boot if he plays the full 2009 campaign.
ATLANTA BRAVES Underrated: Kelly Johnson (2B) He’s young and consistent, destined to flirt with a .300 average while hitting 10 to 15 home runs — certainly worthy of a late-round pick, especially at his position.
CHICAGO CUBS Overrated: Carlos Zambrano (SP) Oh, he’s still very much worthy of a roster spot on your team, but Zambrano is not the elite pitcher he was a few seasons ago. His strikeout rate dropped mightily last season, and his earned run average was just below four. Don’t jump on him too soon.
CINCINNATI REDS Sleeper: Ramon Hernandez (C) Why does this guy seem a lot older than 32 years old? Hernandez still has power left in his tank and is worth a late round pick.
COLORADO ROCKIES Overrated: Garrett Atkins (3B) Decline in home run and RBI totals over the past few seasons plus the fact that he’s not hitting behind Matt Holliday anymore equals stay away.
FLORIDA MARLINS LUKE MASON/SPPS
Tech head coach Scot Thomas gives signals from the third base coaching box.
Overrated: Jorge Cantu (1B) Many will dig on Cantu after he hit 29 home runs and drove in 95
runs last season, disregarding the fact that the first baseman has been a highly inconsistent hitter over the course of his career thus far. Sleeper: Emilio Bonifacio (3B) Replacing Cantu at third base, Bonifacio is projected to be the Marlins starting third baseman but should be eligible at the second base and shortstop positions in most leagues as well. This versatility combined with the potential to steal 40 bases make Bonifacio worthy of a flier in the late rounds.
HOUSTON ASTROS Overrated: Miguel Tejada (SS) Miggy’s home-run totals in the past five years: 34, 26, 24, 18, 13. Seeing a trend? His RBI numbers are going in the same direction.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS Overrated: Manny Ramirez (OF) Many people will draft him too high because they think of the sideshow that is Manny . His numbers, however, just don’t make him a top-three outfielder. He gives you no steals, and it’s a risk to say he’ll stay healthy and hit more than 30 home runs.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS Underrated: Rickie Weeks (2B) You can get him easily in the late rounds after he hit a careerlow .234 last season. He will most certainly improve on that number this season and is very capable of 15 to 20 home runs and 25 to 30 stolen bases. Still in his mid-20s, Weeks has yet to hit his peak.
NEW YORK METS Overrated: Carlos Beltran (OF) Don’t even think about taking him in the latter part of the first round. Not even in the early part of the second. Beltran’s power numbers are dropping and although you can still bank on him for 20/20, he’s not the stud that he once was statistically. Overrated: Francisco Rodriguez (CL) Saves only get you so much in fantasy baseball. Don’t overpay. His numbers will continue to be good in the National League but his strikeout-to-walk ratio will continue to
decline as it has in the past three years.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES Overrated: Cole Hamels (SP) Don’t take him before the fourth round. He’s an injury risk with the workload placed on him, and his strikeouts per nine innings dropped in ’08.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES Underrated: Adam LaRoche (1B) LaRoche is one of those classic “under the radar” players because he’s on a terrible team. Any player who compiles 25 home runs and drives in 85 runs while hitting .270 garners attention, though, no matter what second-division club he plays for.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS Underrated: Ryan Ludwick (OF) No one believes he can replicate his 37-homer, 113-RBI performance of last season, so his value is down — too far down. He’s only 31. Take a chance in the middle.
SAN DIEGO PADRES Underrated: Kevin Kouzmanoff (3B) He was listed as “underrated” in our preview last year as well and went on to hit 23 home runs (not to mention 31 doubles) and drive in 84 runs in 2008. But people still have not paid enough attention to Kouzmanoff. Others still don’t even know who first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS Underrated: Pablo Sandoval (3B) I’ll be honest, I consider myself a hardcore baseball fan and I hadn’t really heard of this guy. But the consensus fantasy projections look extremely solid. Sandoval is quietly staring down a .292, 12 HR, 75 RBI season.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS Sleeper: Elijah Dukes (OF) Dukes is the epitome of the term “sleeper” this year. With a good eye and the potential for speed and pop in his bat, he’ll be a late round steal in many drafts.
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wednesday, april 1, 2009
Spring football practice set to blossom BRIAN WRIGHT
ct sports editor Virginia Tech’s 2008 season had more twists and turns than an amusement park ride. Yet, in the end, it was the Hokies who reaped the laurels of victory in both the ACC Championship and the Orange Bowl. Expectations for 2009 are lofty, especially after losing just six starters from last year’s 10-4 club. This year, Tech will probably have its highest preseason ranking in team history. But head coach Frank Beamer knows it would be unwise to look too far ahead, especially to the Hokies’ opening game showdown with Alabama in Atlanta on Sept. 5. "A lot of that depends on what happens here in spring practice,” Beamer said. “It’s all about getting back to work and improving as a football team, then hope you can get to where you want to go. So let's have a great practice on Wednesday. That’s what we need to think about right now." But some key contributors won’t be in full-time action for the next few weeks. Cam Martin, Sergio Render, Jason Worilds and Kenny Lewis are missing spring practice due to injuries, while Davon Morgan is likely to see limited action. Ailments aside, there are five areas to pay close attention to between the time practice commences on Wednesday up until the Spring Game on April 25. Replacements in the offensive line: The offense remains mostly intact. However, the line is the one area that needs minor reconstruction. Gone are center Ryan Shuman and guard Nick Marshman. The latter, at this point, will be replaced by Jaymes Brooks, who showed his effectiveness as a starter in the Orange Bowl.
Shuman’s successor is looking like Beau Warren, who is listed as the starter on the Hokies’ pre-spring depth chart. Michael Via, Richard Graham, Greg Nosal and others will duke it out for the backup roles. “I think we’re more athletic in our offensive line,” Beamer said. “We’ll see how the progress and the aggressiveness and the learning comes along. But I think we’ve got a good starting point with our offensive line in terms of being athletic, and we’ll see where we go from there.” Will Ju-Ju be the backup QB?: It won’t be the primary focus like it was last spring, when Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon competed for the starting job. However, with Glennon gone, it is a point of emphasis to find a backup to Taylor, who has been injured in each of the past two seasons. The likely candidate is Ju-Ju Clayton, who ran the scout team last year while serving his redshirt. "I still think Ju-Ju has a lot of Bryan Randall's qualities,” Beamer said, referring to Tech’s all-time leading passer. “That's who he kinda reminds me of.” Also in the mix is tight end Greg
Boone, occasionally used as a signal caller in the “Wild Turkey” formation. Redshirt freshman Marcus Davis, primarily a wide receiver, will also see action at quarterback. Davis was behind center in his senior year of high school. “When we recruited him, I thought he was good enough to play quarterback and still do,” Beamer said. Revolving door at placekicker: Tech has had a succession of successfull single-year kickers. In 2007, it was Jud Dunlevy. Last season, Dustin Keys occupied the spot. The man looking to continue a trend of consistent special teams work this time could be a variety of individuals. Currently listed No. 1 on the depth chart, Matt Waldron is in line for field goal duties with Justin Myer handling kickoffs. “I think we got some good candidates,” Beamer said. “The one that’s most consistent is the one that’s going to end up being our guy.” Fresh faces: The true freshmen won’t be in action until the summertime, but the redshirt freshmen will be making their first official appearance
on Tech’s roster for the spring. One figure of interest includes running back Ryan Williams. The high school All-American will ultimately take a back seat to starter Darren Evans, but Williams should see his share of carries come the regular season. “We fully expect Ryan to be right in the middle of things,” Beamer said. “The defensive people were impressed with him when he was the scout team back last year. I think he’s certainly got the ability.” Beamer also mentioned the possibility of Williams being used as a kick and punt returner. Another potential impact player on special teams is Lorenzo Williams — primarily a free safety. With senior Kam Chancellor solidly placed in the starting role, Williams may be placed at cornerback as well. Vinston Painter is going to see playing time on the offensive line. Painter could rotate from tackle to guard as a viable reserve to players such as Brooks and Blake DeChristopher. Defensive shuffle: After replacing the injured Brett Warren in the Orange Bowl, sophomore Barquell Rivers’
KYLE MAXEY/SPPS
Darren Evans avoids defenders during Tech’s 2009 Orange Bowl victory. solid performance is one reason why he is on the inside track to be at one of the two inside linebacker positions in 2009. Redshirt freshmen Jake Johnson and Quillie Odom are listed at Nos. 1 and 2 at the other spot, which Beamer said is “wide open.” Two of the Hokies’ star defensive players will be replaced with more experience. John Graves, who was a starting tackle in 2008, will move to the end slot that was occupied by Orion Martin. Cornerback Victor ‘Macho’ Harris was expected to be a standout in the secondary last year, but
the surprise of that unit was Stephan Virgil. With Harris off to the NFL, Virgil is moving from field corner to boundary corner. “Stephan is a guy that’s played in a lot of ball games and really came along and played well last year,” Beamer said. “He follows a couple of pretty good guys who have done well at that boundary corner, and I think he’s in that same group.” Both Graves and Virgil are used to the starting lineup, but both will have to get comfortable with their new positions starting this spring.